Universal clavicle splint



y 1968 H. K. STIEFEL 3,382,868

UNIVERSAL CLAVICLE SPLINT Filed Dec. 22, 1964 FLEXIBLE PLAsT/c 26 TUB/NC;

United v States Patent 3,382,868 UNIVERSAL CLAVICLE SPLINT Henry K. Stiefel, Bourbon, Ind., assignor to Orthopedic Equipment Company, Inc., Bourbon, Iud., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 420,269 3 Claims. (Cl. 128-87) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An orthopedic clavicle brace which is universally applicable to patients regardless of body size and which can be removed and replaced by the patient or another without loss of the size adjustments provided at the original professional fitting. An adjustable-length and flexible but inextensible connector strap lies along the upper spine, and from its upper end diverge respective adjustablelength straps which encircle the shoulders and armpits and connect detachably by hooks to a ring at the lower end of the connector strap. These diverging straps are slidably enclosed in soft tubular protectors which can be cut to fit according to patient size.

This invention pertains to orthopedic appliances, and especially to an improved construction of a clavicle (collar bone) splint of the strap type.

There are many varieties of clavicle splints, some being' made almost entirely of relatively rigid parts such as bars, braces and the like. The present invention, however, is concerned with improvements in clavicle splints formed almost entirely of flexible straps or canvas webbing. Such strap type splints are especially effective for use on children, or by patients of any age for daily wear following an early healing or correcting period in Which the more elaborate rigid splints may have been employed.

Strap-type clavicle splints known in the art have suffered from several disadvantages. Among these is the fact that it has been necessary for dealers, hospitals, and other suppliers to carry stocks of several different sizes, corresponding for example to adults, youths, children andinfants. This size variation is not entirely a matter of strap length, which could itself be adjusted by the use of buckles, but is also involved with the face-width and thickness of the webbing, which have to be proportioned to the build of the patient to avoid great discomfort where the straps pass beneath the armpits. A further disadvantage has been that many such splints have been employed with safety pins passed through the fabric or webbing as the means for adjusting and equalizing the tension on the shoulders, so that the adjustment was lost each time the device was removed, and replacement with proper length adjustment was made diffieult. Since removal and replacement are often attempted by the patient or other non-professional person, it would be desirable to furnish some assurance that the professional fitting adjustment will not be lost until complete healing or correction has been effected.

It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide a strap-type clavicle splint whose design allows a single size to be fitted properly regardless of the patients age or build.

A further object is to provide such a splint with comfortable, soft and non-allergenic tubular guards to receive and encompass the webbing where it passes beneath the patients armpits; the positioning and lengths of these guards being readily adjustable to suit the patients build or anatomical configuration.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a splint of this type with self-equalizing fastening means for the strap terminals, which can be unhooked (to re- 3,382,868 Patented May 14, 1968 ice move the splint) and later replaced by the patient without losing the proper adjustment established by the physician; yet which will permit the physician to make intentional changes in the tension or length adjustment as required.

Finally, the invention aims to provide a device having all the above features and which will be highly sanitary and easy to launder, all without greatly increasing the cost of the device.

The invention itself, and the construction of a preferred embodiment thereof, will best be comprehended from the following detailed description taken in connection .with the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the upper torso of a patient wearing the novel clavicle splint.

FIG. 2 is a view of the same from the rear.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, to a larger scale, illustrating the constructional details of the splint.

FIG. 1 illustrates the way in which the straps of the splint pass over the shoulders and under the armpits 0f the patient. Actually, only a tiny portion of the strap material or webbing is directly visible in FIG. 1; namely, at the points designated 10 and 12. Where the straps pass along the anterior surfaces of the shoulders, and thence under the armpits, the straps are encased in respective tubular guards 14 and 16. These guards are formed of lengths of soft, flexible tubing, such as a vinyl resin plastic.

Typically, the tubing may have an uncut length of about twelve inches, and a circular diameter of about one-half inch, with a wall thickness of twentyor thirty-thousandths of an inch. The relatively flat webbing 10 and 12 is readily inserted thrugh these guards, curling upon itself in so doing. The plastic tubing is readily cut to any desired length, so that adequate Webbing is available beyond the ends of the guards for connection with terminal fasteners to be described below. Since the tubular guards constrain the webbing to present a comfortable rounded surface to the skin along the shoulders and under the armpits, the flat width of the webbing can be made of adequate size for the largest patient, yet its effective Width where it passes through the guards will not be a limiting factor when the device is adjusted for infant wear. Hence a single size of splint can accommodate all patients, the webbing and guards being merely cut to lengthwise size as required.

Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that where the strap portions merge at 16, they are actually a single piece of webbing folded upon itself at an angle and stitched in a triangular pattern to provide a loop of fabric 18 which receives a bail portion 19 of a fastening clip or buckle 20. See also FIG. 3, in which the clip 20 also is shown as secured, at an adjustable position, to a depending piece of webbing 22 which passes along the spine and carries, at a lower position, a metal ring 24. Preferably, the ring 24 is secured to the webbing 22 by a loop of fabric 26 that is securely stitched to the webbing.

FIG. 3 also illustrates how the portion of strap 10 which emerges from the lower end of tubular guard 14 is adjustably secured (as to position along its length) to a strap fastener or buckle 28 terminating in a hook portion 30, sized to snap over the ring 24, as shown. These parts are so dimensioned that, when under tension on the patients body, the hooks 30, 32 can slide along ring 24 to accommodate themselves to the angle established by the patients size and configuration, and by the effective length adjustments of the main straps.

It is obvious that the hooks such as 30 and 32 provide a very positive connection between the ends of the straps 10, 12 and the lower end of strap 22, yet permit the straps to be unhooked from ring 24 (and later replaced thereon) without loss of the length adjustments which the physician or nurse deemed correct at the time of the original fitting. To accommodate all necessary sizes, the straps 10 and 12 are merely made sufficiently long for the largest patient, any excess being removed beyond the fasteners 28 and 32. At the same time, or even after the device has been applied to the patient, any excess length of the tubing 14 can be out 01f, and the remainder slid along its strap so as to lie in at least the under-arm region, and as far up the shoulders as is desired.

Fasteners 20 and 28, insofar as they receive folded over portions of the webbing and hold the effective length of the straps to an adjusted value, can be of conventional construction, utilizing self-snubbing frictional action or, more preferably, teeth arranged to close upon and penetrate the web layers to maintain adjustment. Stainless steel is the preferred material for the fastener buckles.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail so that those skilled in this art may readily practice the same, it is to be understood that the principles of the invention can be carried out by other specific constructions, and it is not intended to exclude such variations except as may be required by the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clavicle splint comprising a pair of fiat, flexible shoulder straps adapted to pass over the respective shoulders and under the armpits of a patient, said straps being connected angularly to one another at a first connection point adapted to lie over the upper spine of the patient, and means for adjusting the effective lengths of said straps; an inextensible connector secured to said straps at said first connection point and adapted to lie along the patients spine; means for adjusting the effective length of said connector; a rigid ring secured to said connector at a point below said first connection point; hook elements on said straps for removably attaching the ends of said straps, emerging rearwardly from the armpits, to said ring; and a guard of soft, flexible plastic tubing material slidably encompassing each of said straps at least in the regions where they pass beneath the armpits.

2. A clavicle splint comprising a pair of flat, flexible shoulder straps adapted to pass over the respective shoulders and under the armpits of a patient, said straps being connected angularly to one another at a first connection point adapted to lie over the upper spine of the patient, and means for adjusting the effective lengths of said straps; an inextensible connector secured to said straps at said first connection point and adapted to lie along the patients spine; a rigid ring secured to said connector at a point below said first connection point; hook elements on said straps for removably attaching the ends of said straps, emerging rearwardly from the armpits, to said ring; and a guard of soft, flexible plastic tubing material slidably encompassing each of said straps at least in the regions where they pass beneath the armpits; the means for adjusting the effective lengths of said straps comprising a buckle adjustably secured to each strap, said hook elements being integral with said buckles.

3. A clavicle splint comprising a pair of flat, flexible shoulder straps adapted to pass over the respective shoulders and under the armpits of a patient, said straps being connected angularly to one another at a first connection point adapted to lie over the upper spine of the patient; an inextensible connector secured to said straps at said first connection point and adapted to lie along the patients spine; a rigid ring secured to said connector at a point below said first connection point; hook elements on said straps for removably attaching the ends of said straps, emerging rearwardly from the armpits, to said ring; and a guard of soft, flexible plastic tubing material slidably encompassing each of said straps at least in the regions where they pass beneath the armpits; said straps being constituted by a single piece of fabric webbing, folded upon itself and stitched to form a loop at said first connection point; and a buckle engaged by said loop and adjustably secured to said connector for adjustment of the effective length thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 207,419 8/1878 Hunt 227-34 464,916 12/ 1891 Taylor 128-519 741,521 4/1902 Martin 128-78 911,324 2/1909 Orear 2-44 1,050,257 1/1913 Trigg 2-45 1,164,333 12/1915 Callahan 128-520 1,209,601 12/ 1916 Loring 128-426 1,924,016 8/1933 Barrows 128-78 2,450,298 9/1948 Peterson et a1. 128-87 2,695,019 11/1954 Welter 12'8-96 3,141,456 7/1964 Meek 128-87 3,164,154 1/1965 Simonsen 128-510 3,292,616 12/1966 Freeman 12-8-520 FOREIGN PATENTS 889,539 1/ 1944 France.

OTHER REFERENCES Orthopedic Appliances Atlas, vol. I, pp. 210 and 211, 1952.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner. 

